Inkjet printing is a popular way of printing images on various media surfaces, particularly paper, for a number of reasons, including low printer noise, capability of high-speed printing, multi-color printing, relatively low cost to consumers, etc. With the demand for customized print matter, such as mailings, catalogs, brochures, and flyers increasing and digital cameras and other digital image-capturing devices becoming more prevalent, there is a demand for improved inkjet printing. For example, there is a desire for producing photographic-quality images, e.g., comparable to that of traditional silver halide photography, using inkjet printing.
After an image is printed on a media sheet, the printed media sheet is often sent an output tray. Frequently, two or more printed media sheets are successively sent to the tray and are stacked one upon the other, with a bottom surface of a subsequently printed media sheet overlying and in contact with the printed side of a previously printed media sheet. However, inkjet printing ink typically contains water or solvent that may not adequately dry, by evaporation, before the printed side containing the ink is covered by the back of a subsequently printed media sheet during stacking of the media sheets. This can cause color bleed, color shifting, and hazing (a reduction in the black optical density of a printed image), etc. in the stacked printed side.